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Friend, Nebraska

10 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1955 and the latest in 1985. It stands in Friend City. It lies in ZIP code area 68359. The Survey maps it on the Friend quadrangle. 954 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,558 feet above sea level.

Friend within Saline County

On record in Friend

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 2 records

Population over time

2 figures

Friend fell from 1,027 to 954 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
20101,027
2020954-73 (-7%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 surveys from 10 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

25 since 2001

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 25 fires within 5 miles of Friend between 2001 and 2020, burning about 233 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning14
Missing data/not specified/undetermined4
Equipment and vehicle use2
Railroad operations and maintenance2
Fireworks1
Power generation/transmission/distribution1
Recreation and ceremony1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
28 September 2020Debris and open burning5.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
20 September 2010Debris and open burning5.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
11 August 2012Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
1 August 2012Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
4 July 2013Fireworks1.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
23 July 2013Debris and open burningunder an acreNebraska Forest Servicenot named
10 July 2006Debris and open burning2.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named
9 June 2016Power generation/transmission/distribution1.0 acresNebraska Forest Servicenot named

Every fire recorded in Saline County

Storms near this place

60 of 78 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Friend in 78 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 37 hail, 30 thunderstorm wind, 4 flash flood, 2 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
August 2025Thunderstorm WindFriend$16,130,000A strong line of severe thunderstorms swept across Saline County, Nebraska, on the morning of August 9th, 2025, producing a swath of damaging straight-line winds, particularly impactful across the northern portion of the county. The damage swath extended from the area around Friend eastward toward Dorchester and then southeast to Crete.||The most intense winds were reported in Friend, where an emergency manager documented widespread damage including trees down, power outages, roof damage to businesses, and estimated winds gusting between 80 to 90 mph. A separate measured report from an emergency manager in Friend measured a wind gust of 84 mph. Further impressive damage was reported east of Friend, near Dorchester, where emergency management noted wooden power poles snapped for approximately 10 miles, with winds estimated at 90 mph in this area.||Moving southeast, the damaging winds continued to affect the Crete area, where a measured gust of 64 mph was recorded by a public weather station 6 miles south-southwest of Friend. Other public reports from Crete included a large tree down around the intersection of 8th or 9th Street and Grove Avenue, as well as large tree branches falling onto a house. Winds in the Crete area were estimated to be between 70 to 80 mph. A less damaging, measured gust of 58 mph was also reported south-southeast of Dorchester.||The collective property damage to public infrastructure from this damaging wind swath is estimated to be $16,129,296.00. This figure reflects only the costs associated with repairing public assets and does not account for the extensive damage sustained by private and commercial properties throughout Saline County.
July 1994HailFriend$5,000,000Baseball-size hail was reported on the east side of Friend. The hail covered the ground and produced moderate damage to trees and vehicles. Crop damage in some fields was up to 70 percent. Power was out in Friend for several hours. Many homes received roof damage. Some windows were also broken.
April 2001Thunderstorm WindFriend$500,000A line of fast moving thunderstorms bowed across southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa this day bringing thunderstorm wind gusts of 60 to 80 mph. This was the first report of damage in the Omaha/Valley NWS coverage area with this line. As the storm went through Friend, more than 10 farmsteads sustained damage to outbuildings and equipment. At one farm a roof was blown off of a horse barn and machine shed, and a horse trailer was destroyed injuring 2 horses, also a fifth-wheel camper trailer was rolled. Irrigation pivots were also overturned, damaged and/or destroyed.
June 2001Thunderstorm WindFriend$400,000A thunderstorm microburst with winds estimated at over 70 mph destroyed outbuildings and caused extensive tree and vehicle damage near Friend.
May 2007FloodFriend$100,000Heavy rain over 3 days caused Turkey Creek to flood across much of Saline county. The creek at Wilber crested at 16.44 feet during the morning hours of May 7th, flood stage is 11 feet. The creek at Wilber first crossed flood stage around 745 pm CDT on the 5th and didn't drop below flood stage until a little after noon on the 8th.| |The Creek flooded across Highway 103 causing its closure near Wilber. Flooding from Turkey Creek and the Big Blue River also caused 100 county road washouts and closed 20 county roads. Flooding of agricultural lowlands also occurred. Flood damage from both Turkey Creek and the Big Blue River was estimated at $100,000.
July 2000Thunderstorm WindFriend$15,000Thunderstorm wind gusts over 60 mph blew over several telephone poles 3 miles east of Friend. Large tree branches were also downed.
July 1997LightningFriend$2,000Lightning struck a building and knocked out some bricks.
April 2025Funnel CloudFriend-Public caller reported a funnel cloud to the their south from Highway 7 near Friend, Nebraska.
September 2025Thunderstorm WindFriend-Public report received via social media of a large tree branch down on a house near Friend, NE.
April 2024Funnel CloudFriend-The fire department in Friend, Nebraska called the office to report a funnel cloud.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindFriend-A 63 miles per hour wind gust was measured by a personal weather station.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindFriend-A CO-OP observer reported a measured wind gust of 59 miles per hour.
June 2024Thunderstorm WindFriend-A 59 miles per hour wind gust was measured by a personal weather station.
July 2023Thunderstorm WindFriend-A personal weather station measured a peak wind gust of 62 mph.
June 2022HailFriend-Trained spotter reported 1 inch hail.
June 2021HailFriend-Trained spotter reported 1.25 inch hail.
December 2021Thunderstorm WindFriend-Public reported strong wind capable fo breaking 2-3 inch diameter limbs and 0.88 inch hail.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindFriend-Mesonet station recorded wind gust of 62 mph.
October 2020Thunderstorm WindFriend-Personal weather station measured a wind gust of 58 mph.
June 2019Flash FloodFriend-The public reported flooded farm fields between Dorchester and Friend. Water also over a few county side roads.
June 2019Heavy RainFriend-Observers reported 2.2 to 2.51 inches of rain in the last couple of hours.
October 2019Flash FloodFriend-Water was reported over the road near the intersection of Nebraska State Highway 15 and County Road L.
June 2018Tornado (EF0)Friend-Doors were blown off a barn, most of the roof panels were blown of a shed and thrown downstream, large tree branches were blown down, and a path of corn in a herringbone pattern occurred from a brief tornado 8 miles south southwest of Friend.
June 2018Tornado (EF1)Friend-A second tornado started approximately 7 3/4 miles south of Friend and traveled 1.4 miles in a west to east direction. A storage shed moved over 1000 feet from where it started. Trunks of trees and large tree limbs were snapped, and metal panels were blown off a shed.
May 2016Flash FloodFriend-Numerous reports of flash flooding in Saline County were received. The main areas affected were in the Friend, Dorchester, and Tobias areas. Water was reported in the basement of homes, State Highway 15 was closed, and several rural gravel roads were impassible.
June 2015Thunderstorm WindFriend-Spotter reported winds in excess of 60 mph, possibly as high as 70 mph. Tree branches were blown down at the residence.
June 2014Thunderstorm WindFriend-Spotters reported wind gusts to 65 mph.
June 2013HailFriend-Hail, in some cases a little larger than golf ball-size even measured a few hours after the storm, caused scattered crop damage near Friend. There were still some small drifts of hail left in the fields a few hours after the storm as well.
May 2012HailFriend-Hail from quarter to golfball-size fell west through southwest of Friend. Most of the hail was quarter-size.
July 2011Thunderstorm WindFriend-Home weather equipment measured a thunderstorm wind gust of 65 mph. The report was relayed by emergency management.
August 2009Thunderstorm WindFriend-A cooperative observer near Friend measured a thunderstorm wind gust at 65 mph. The winds downed many trees and large tree limbs in the area. Some of the fallen trees damaged the roofs of a few homes, blocked several streets in town and caused scattered power outages.
July 2008Flash FloodFriend-Slow moving thunderstorms dropped rainfall that was unofficially measured at 6 inches just south of Friend. The heavy rain caused flash flooding across a few county roads in the area.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindFriend-Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at around 60 mph knocked over a large tree in Friend.
May 2006Thunderstorm WindFriend-Emergency management estimated that thunderstorm wind gusts over 60 mph blew down a large cottonwood tree in town.
May 2006Thunderstorm WindFriend-Thunderstorm winds were estimated at 60 mph south of Friend.
June 2005Thunderstorm WindFriend-Thunderstorm winds estimated at 60 mph caused some tree damage at a cemetery near Friend. One tree damaged a headstone it fell on.
July 2005Thunderstorm WindFriend-Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated by a trained spotter at 60 mph downed two large trees that blocked a street on the south edge of town. Numerous other smaller limbs were downed across the town from this storm which was accompanied by nickel size hail.
July 2005HailFriend-The hail was accompanied by wind gusts estimated at 60 mph which caused some tree damage in town.
August 2003Thunderstorm WindFriend-Thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at 70 mph blew a 60 foot by 80 foot roof off of a business in town.
April 2002HailFriend-The hail was accompanied by thunderstorm wind gusts of 55 mph.
August 2002Thunderstorm WindFriend-Thunderstorm winds uprooted a tree in Friend causing damage to a house.
August 2001HailFriend-The hail was accompanied by thunderstorm wind gusts estimated at over 50 mph.
May 2000Thunderstorm WindFriend-70 mph thunderstorm wind gust reported by ham radio operator.
July 2000HailFriend-Hail up to 1 inch in diameter lasted for around 5 minutes west of Friend.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindFriend-Tree limbs downed.
August 1994HailFriend-Hail, up to golfball-size, damaged trees, two grain bins and 48,000 acres of crops.
August 2019Thunderstorm WindFriend-no account filed
June 2018HailFriend-no account filed
June 2017HailFriend-no account filed
June 2017HailFriend-no account filed
June 2017HailFriend-no account filed
May 2016HailFriend-no account filed
May 2016HailFriend-no account filed
July 2016Thunderstorm WindFriend-no account filed
December 2016Thunderstorm WindFriend-no account filed
July 2015Thunderstorm WindFriend-no account filed
June 2014HailFriend-no account filed
October 2013HailFriend-no account filed
June 2013HailFriend-no account filed
June 2013HailFriend-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Saline County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Dorchester9.2 miles14
Pleasant Hill11.8 miles14
Tobias16.5 miles10
Crete17.3 miles15
Shestak18.1 miles15
Western18.5 miles10
Berks19.7 miles15
Wilber21.0 miles11

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on FriendAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q967371The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 829421. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.